Gameplay
The game is essentially linear, with very little room for innovation or exploration. The focus is always on Stone's ship.
There are a number of weapons: a photon cannon that can fire rapid shots of 1, 2, or 3 bursts (the more bursts, the slower), and several types of missiles that can track enemy ships (or Stone's own ship if it's in the way). Combat is simple: spin and evade enemy fire while firing in return.
The "frequency" of the shields and photons can be changed. If one frequency is chosen and fired, a shielding system that matches said frequency will take a greater level of damage. As the game progresses, different frequencies for weapons and shields become available.
After equipping the E-Band converter device, power can be acquired by destroying enemy ships. Energy crystals or a green fluid held in a beaker can also increase power. The more power put into a shield, weapon, or drive system, the more powerful or faster it will be. Power is consumed by the hyperdrive when in use, or the shields when hit by enemy fire.
Hull integrity is shown through a square superimposed on top of the ship. At full health, the square will be bright green. When the ship is damaged, this square will fade to black. As time goes on, the ship will repair itself, the speed of which depending on how much power has been dedicated to the life support systems.
There are four different zoom modes in the game. The first, 1X, shows a detailed look at the area immediately surrounding the ship. The second mode, 10X, can show an entire solar system. Increasing the scan power level enables planets, moons, asteroid belts, and even enemies to be shown on the screen. The third mode, 100X, shows the star cluster. The final mode is the "war mode", wider than 1X and used for combat.
There are limited dialogue options with characters in the game, but with few exceptions, all conversations must proceed in the same direction, regardless of what is said.
Read more about this topic: Solar Winds